


A Royal Pain

by AnotherWriterInTheDark



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:29:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26422669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnotherWriterInTheDark/pseuds/AnotherWriterInTheDark
Summary: I’m a sucker for a soulmate au so I present to you a soulmate au where soulmates share each other’s pain (which is rather inconvenient when your soulmate is a knight...even more so when that knight turns out to be the prince.)
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 752





	A Royal Pain

Merlin bolted upright from his sleep. He had been rudely awoken by something dropping onto his arm. His eyes adjust to the darkness in search of what could have hit him but there was nothing in sight. Or at least nothing strong enough to cause the slight throb he was still experiencing, unless perhaps his laundry had been whipped at him particularly hard.

Before he can investigate further he feels the pain again on his other arm. He flinches away from the invisible threat this time nearly falling out of bed. He knew it wasn’t the laundry, and now he also knew he had not been dreaming so either he’s losing it or-

He falls back into bed as something hits his chest knocking the wind out of him. As he regains his breath he feels his stomach fill with dread as he realises this pain belonged to his soulmate.

Merlin was unsure of how worried he should be that his soulmate was being attacked at the early hours of the day. He had heard murmurs of other people in his village that had started feeling bumps and bruises from their other half. Merlin had honestly thought he had Will had both avoided the whole charade as he was coming close to 18 and usually the connection starts sometime around 16. He spent the day anxiously waiting to feel another bump just to assure him that his soulmate had not died.

Early the next morning is when he should have let out a sigh of relief as he was awoken to a bump of his head but it made him worry more as to why his soulmate is getting attacked again. It quickly became apparent it was a regular thing; Merlin was constantly sore and under attack. It was annoying but he had learned to remain composed through the day despite wanting nothing more than to collapse.

After about a month of this a horrible thought came into Merlin’s head.

“I fear my soulmate might be a knight.” He confessed to Will on a walk one day.

The other laughed but quickly stopped when he saw the others face “Oh. You’re not joking?”

“Why would I be joking?”

“I don’t know to make me feel better or something I guess.” Will shrugged “but go on what makes you think that?”

“Uh well he gets in a lot of fights, and at first I was worried but they kept happening, I’m constantly sore and I’m starting to think he’s training.”

“Well I hope your wrong for your sake, a knight for a soulmate sounds like it would suck!”

Merlin sighs “It does suck, I never get to sleep in, everything always hurts and based on how often he gets hit I feel like he’s not very good!”

Will laughs but adds “Well maybe he will be fit.”

Merlin smiled but hoped he wasn’t too fit, he didn’t think he could handle being rejected by his own soulmate if they were out of his league. “Ugh what would we even talk about, what do I have in common with a knight?!”

* * *

As the years went on Merlin got use to his soulmates scheduled. He had gotten very good at remaining still and composed while his soulmate took a blow. He also was growing strangely proud at how much better his soulmate was getting. The bumps were less frequent now, the soreness of training was still constant but Merlin could handle it.

It would be a lie to say Merlin had not humoured the idea of finding his soulmate when he moved to Camelot. It was especially tempting to day dream after being appointed the prince’s manservant and getting to watch the knight’s train first hand.

So day dream is what he did. It was all fun and games until Arthur was knocked down and Merlin felt a shooting pain across his side. The blow wasn’t even that bad but Merlin felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him along with it. He instantly froze – not prince Arthur? No there has to be a mistake, you can’t be soulmates with a Prince!

Merlin must not have been as composed as he usually was as Arthur gave him a dirty look when coming to get a drink “Don’t be such a _girl_ Merlin it barely hurt.”

To which Merlin laughed uncomfortably before trying to distract himself with polishing metals. Yet when Arthur returned to the field Merlin’s suspicions were only confirmed.

“I think Arthur is my soulmate” He told Gaius over dinner.

Gaius stared at him for a moment before laughing “No he’s not.”

“No really! I saw him? He was training and I could feel each hit and fall and scrape.”

Gaius was quiet. He ate slowly and after the silence went on for a bit too long Merlin spoke again.

“You don’t have anything to say about that?” From Merlin’s understanding royals do not have soulmates? He didn’t know or care as to how but he knew that not having a soulmate protected them from being unnecessarily tortured or in too much pain to do royal things. “Do royals secretly have soulmates too?” 

Gaius lets out a sigh “They do, which makes this most unfortunate if it is true.”

Merlin lowers his fork “Uh unfortunate?”

“Under Uther’s command I’ve been giving Arthur a potion to null the connection between his soulmate since his 16th birthday… as in he has not felt a thing.”

“Gaius now is not the time for jokes.”

“I’m being deadly serious Merlin. All the royals do it!” He gets up and opens a cupboard full of orange bottles “I give him a new one every month he has a little everyday” He grabs one and places it on the table for Merlin to see. “Too many past kings were getting paired with presents or having their maidens tortured for them, it was decided best to pretend they don’t exist.”

Merlin could feel something building up inside him. He couldn’t quiet place his finger on if it was rage or heartbreak but he felt like he couldn’t breathe, he felt like his heart could burst.

“So,” he took a slow breath “Arthur is never to know?”

“Sadly so, Uther would have anyone who claims to be his soulmate killed, as Arthur is protected from the pain their death would cause, he would never know.”

It seems there was a lot that could get Merlin killed in Camelot.

“You understand don’t you Merlin?” to which Merlin nods, he wanted to go lie down. “You can take a bottle if you want?” But Merlin did not want it, he wanted the pain to be dulled by the comfort that he wasn’t experiencing it on his own, not in potions.

Merlin headed early for bed that night, never had he felt so alone.

* * *

Arthur had been working for too long. His head was aching and his eyes were heavy. The candles that lit his papers were almost at their end. This research was important; he had a quest coming up where he needed to be more prepared than usual. Merlin was kind enough to keep him company on this late night by offering to re organise the prince’s drawers.

Over the last few months him and Merlin had gotten rather close, he still wouldn’t openly admit that he _liked_ having the other around but he did.

“Is that really necessary?” he had asked to give the other one last chance at an early night.

Merlin simply shrugged “It can be.”

And so it was.

Merlin’s company was greatly appreciated as Arthur would complain about nonsense scribblings from past travellers. When Merlin had finish his made up task the other came to sit across from him at the table.

“Can I?” he was looking at a pile of maps and books that Arthur had already looked through.

“Knock yourself out.”

Arthur was beginning to feel agitated, his head had started pounding ten minutes ago and he feared it would not rest until he did.

“Do you want me to ask Gaius for a remedy for your headache?”

“What?” Arthur looks up at Merlin confused. Merlin still focused on the maps, repeats himself.

“Do you want me to ask Gaius for a remedy-”

“No, no, no,” Arthur says rubbing at his temples “how did you know I have a headache?”

Merlin lifts his gaze with his mouth open organising what to say. When his eyes do meet Arthur’s he smiles. “You make a face, when you have a headache.”

“Oh really,” Arthur leans back in his chair “and what does this face look like may I ask, as you appear so amused?”

Merlin’s smile only grows “It’s funny, you see it almost looks as if your thinking- but I know you never do that so it must be a headache!”

Arthur could slap that smug look off Merlin’s face but he couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“Do you have a headache too Merlin? As I think I would if I had to listen to that annoying voice of yours in my head all the time.”

He watches as the other rolls his eyes. “Shall I go get some then?”

Arthur looks back at the pile of papers and then at the candles before looking back to Merlin with a sigh “No I think I will simply try to sleep it off. You should head to bed as well.”

Merlin agrees that’s likely the best plan and leaves the prince for the night.

Unfortunately for Arthur his headache does not subside. He had heard that Morgana would sometimes visit Gaius if she was troubled in the night. He decided he would be forgiven if he does the same just this once.

He was very surprised to find Merlin also still awake. He was down the corridor of Gaius’ looking out a window.

“Merlin?”

The other turns startled but his shoulders ease as he recognises the other. “Sire, what are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t sleep so I came to get that remedy…what are you doing out here?”

“I uh couldn’t sleep… so I came to get some fresh air.” Arthur nods noting that the breeze here by the window was rather relaxing. Merlin looked troubled, he was trying to hide it but Arthur could tell, his eyes lacked their usual sparkle.

“Gaius is asleep but I’ll have a dig around you uh stay, stay here.”

“I’m not a dog Merlin.” he whispered as the other walked off. He stood by the window as Merlin had been. The moon was almost full tonight and stars twinkled overhead, it’s not very often Arthur stopped to look at the stars.

Merlin returned swiftly carrying a small blue bottle in his hands. “I think it’s this one.”

“You think or you know?”

“I am …. fairly certain.” Arthur gives him a glance as he smells the bottle.

“Well it doesn’t smell like a poison.”

“Yes and if it is maybe death will be less painful then this headache…I’m- I’m assuming it must be pretty bad if you can’t sleep?”

“Yes it is.” Arthur hums before drinking the bottle in one swoop. “What’s keeping you up again?”

Merlin blinks a few times and Arthur silently begs the other doesn’t lie to him. “I just uh I had a lot on my mind.”

Arthur hands back the empty vile. “Care to share?”

Merlin looks at his feet “It’s not really the types of matters to talk about with the prince.”

He felt his heart drop a little “Well pretend I’m not a prince.”

Merlin averts his gaze to out the window rather than at Arthur “You wouldn’t understand.”

“Try me.” To which Merlin looks up, he didn’t mean to pry, he just hated seeing him with such sad eyes.

Merlin studies him for a minute. Arthur stares right back. The moonlight suited his complexion and really brought out the blue in his eyes which where carefully calculating how to move forward.

“You’re not going to take no for an answer are you?”

“No I am not”

With a sigh he admits “It’s a uh soulmate thing.”

“Ah I see.” To which Merlin nods before poking his head out the window. After a moment or two Arthur leans out the window as well. There wasn’t a lot of space so their arms rub against each other. “I can try to understand though if you still wanted to tell me.” He glances over at the other who gave a weak smile.

“I thought speaking with you about soulmates could be punishable by the king?”

“Since when have you ever followed those rules Mer lin, you’re not supposed to call me a prat and that’s never stopped you.”

The light in Merlin’s eyes returned as he smiled “Well maybe if you would stop being such a prat I wouldn’t have to call you one.”

With the tight space Arthur could not punch him as he usually does so instead he nudges him with his shoulder. Arthur really hoped Merlin would share, he didn’t have to but he wanted him to. He considered Merlin a friend and he wanted the other to feel the same.

Merlin eventually broke the silence not an answer but with a question.

“Does it ever upset you that you don’t have a soulmate?”

Arthur couldn’t help but smile. One of his favourite things about Merlin was how he didn’t fear him like the others all seem to. No one had ever stopped to ask him what giving up his soulmate must be like before. Then again no one really could and he never realised how much he wanted someone to ask until now.

He looks out at the trees. “It’s lonely.”

“I can imagine.”

Arthur closes his eyes for a moment as he allows himself to think about memories he usually keeps in the very back of his mind. “They’re clumsy.”

“Who is?”

“My soulmate.”

“Oh.” A pause, “Clumsy?” Merlin then chuckles.

“Very, constantly bumping their shin into things, it’s cute.” Arthur allows himself to smile over it as his feels his heart growing warm as he remembers more. “Sometimes they pick up things they shouldn’t. Like hot things or sharp things, they’re a little impulsive… I don’t think they had a horse, they always had aches in their feet and- Merlin? You okay there?

He had looked over at Merlin who had gone very pale and still and looked almost as if he could cry.

The others eyes don’t leave his, he takes a slow breath before he says “I-I’m just shocked… I didn’t know you knew anything about them.”

Arthur shrugs “I use to stop taking Gaius’ potion when I would get mad at my father sometimes, It’s been years, but I was curious.” He points a finger at Merlin “If you tell anyone about this I’ll have to have you imprisoned.”

Merlin gently pushes the finger out of his face “Your secret is safe with me.” Arthur had known it would be.

“Sometimes I wish I hadn’t – stopped taking the potion, I got kind of attached without even meeting them.” he sighs “I can’t imagine how painful it must be for them, both physically and then mentally when they don’t get to find me.”

They listen to the wind as it blows through the trees. It was so quiet at night, it was like they were the only two in the whole world.

“I think,” Merlin said just above a whisper “they would understand, and if they ever figured it out they would forgive you.”

“You really think so?”

Merlin nods slowly “Yeah.”

He always knew what to say but this was supposed to be about Merlin. “Alright enough about me this was about you- what’s your soulmate like?”  
  


“Uh well actually, I think you would quiet like them, I think they are a knight actually.”

“You? With a knight?”

Merlin nods “I was surprised too.”

Arthur quieted his chuckled “I’m amused but I can understand why your troubled having a knight for a soulmate must be hard.”

“Hard? Eh … painful…very.” He scratches at his head “But uh, I mean that’s what makes me think your soulmate will be okay, I’m sure they have figured out they are connected to a knight of some sort. I use to worry that maybe mine got hurt beyond repair…its relieving feeling a bump again the next morning. Just knowing their out there is enough… and hey let’s face it they can brag about having a knight soulmate.”

Merlin had a point, most girls swoon over those types of things, it was entertaining hearing Merlin so happy about it as well “What happened to all knights being thick?”

He shrugs “Like you said it’s hard not to get attached to them even if you don’t know them.”

Arthur remembers when he stopped taking the potions, he thought it would be annoying, feeling someone else’s pain. He quickly found what Gaius told him about soulmates was true. _They understand you in a way no one else does and because they feel your pain they can always try to help, and if they can’t help you, you still can know you are never really alone._ He would dream about how he could comfort them, he longed to hold his soulmate even just once. He hopped Merlin was right and that his soulmate could forgive the pain Arthur must have put them through.

“How is the headache? You don’t seem very dead so that promising.”

He stands up from the window, he hadn’t even noticed that it had cleared “It’s very much gone yes, I should probably head back, are you ... okay?” Merlin hadn’t actually told him what about his soulmate was bothering him.

Merlin nods “Yeah this talk helped, I think soulmates are probably lonely for everyone… but no one really talks about the before bit…. Thank you for uh trusting me?” he knew they would likely never be able to speak about tonight again, but that’s okay Arthur is still glad he got to share a normal moment with someone.

“Same to you Merlin,” he started to walk off. “I’m sure you will make a knight very happy one day.”

As he made his way back to his quarters he became busy in thought. _Merlin and a knight who would have thought?_

It actually made him a little sad knowing that the other was going to get to run off with whoever he’s meant to while. Meanwhile Arthur was left longing for something he could never have. Not that Merlin would have it easy, relationships between men were not very common in Camelot. Arthur slightly envied how that probably meant living off in a cottage somewhere without anyone else. He had thought of doing that... If he ever were to escape royal life he would run off somewhere far away where no one could find him, in fact he would even let Merlin come and bring his soulmate.

He had meant what he said; Merlin would make a great soulmate. He was already so good at caring for Arthur, he couldn’t imagine how well he would mend wounds for someone he was connected to… actually he was _really_ good at caring for Arthur who was now start to slow his pacing a bit. Merlin always knew where it hurt, he sometimes would address wounds that Arthur had barely even acknowledge himself…

His mind went back to that first day of training, where Merlin looks as if he had been hit himself.

And how something was also keeping Merlin up tonight…. _it’s a soulmate thing_

_I think you would quiet like them, I think they are a knight actually_

Arthur stopped dead in his tracks. It can’t be, can it?

This had to be wishful thinking. This is why he wasn’t supposed to speak of soulmates with others, he could possibly be manipulated and insert himself… he shakes his head trying to push out the narrative his father had drilled into him after all these years because what if he was?

What if it is Merlin?

* * *

Merlin lied in his bed awake for a long time after their conversation. This time not because of Arthur’s headache (which had felt as if someone had put a sword through his skull) but because Arthur was in fact vaguely aware of him.

_Clumsy_ , he rolls his eyes while grinning ear to ear, _I’m not that clumsy am I?_ But honestly Merlin didn’t care, Arthur had sounded fond of him, well he didn’t know it was Merlin but still, this was enough to make Merlin’s heart do summersaults.

Maybe he shouldn’t have told Arthur so much about himself but it seemed to have went by without suspicion … or so Merlin thought.

Later that week while traveling through the forest Arthur held a branch up for him. An action that was usually followed by the other letting go right while Merlin was under it and having it smack him in the face. No such thing happened this time.

“Woah what was that?”

Arthur blinks confused “What was what?”

“The branch?” Merlin looked behind him and then back at the other “You didn’t hit me?”

Arthur looks around briefly to make sure none of the rest of the party could over hear. The prince shrugs, “If your soulmate is really _a knight_ I figured I should ease off on hitting you so much.”

He stood with his mouth open for a second trying to decide what to say before settling on “I can’t believe you.” Never more had Merlin wanted to hit Arthur without it hurting himself.

This week in general Arthur had been acting … strange. One day he had gotten beaten up pretty bad in a duel. He had probably bruised a rib and had wounded his arm.

“You’re good at this?” He said while Merlin cleaned his wound.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re good … at this healing people, healing me.”

Merlin was now wrapping a bandage around the others arm. “I think your forgetting I came to Camelot to be the physicians apprentice not just to polish shoes for you.”

Arthur hummed, appearing pleased with this answer until Merlin offers him a lotion to rub on the bruise.

“See like that! How did you know I had a bruise I didn’t even tell you!”

Merlin stares at him, _He doesn’t know does he?_ Arthur stares back. _No he can’t possibly._ “…I watched you get hit?” Another hum, this one less convinced “Did you hit your head as well?” Merlin teased, to this Arthur smiled but did not respond.

Merlin didn’t know how to feel about Arthur’s sudden shift towards him. He didn’t believe he knew. Surely Arthur would know Merlin knew so if he knew he would just say something. He liked to think he’s not so arrogant that the pure concept of Merlin’s soulmate being a knight was enough for him to change how he treats him. It wasn’t just the, ‘moving-Merlin-out-of-harm’s-way’, or the ‘nice-compliments-on-how-well-he-heals-him’… Merlin would also catch Arthur staring at him. He felt like the other was always watching him even now when Merlin was doing boring things, like putting away the others laundry.

“I’m starting to worry I did give you the wrong remedy.”

Arthur adjusts his blank gaze that was in Merlin’s general direction to be at his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been acting odd all week, do you not think you’ve been acting odd?”

The prince pulls a thinking face while swirling the drink in his goblet before deciding “No I feel perfectly fine, better than ever actually.” He takes a swig of his drink the happily examines the empty goblet before looking back up at Merlin.

“Alright sire just checking.” Merlin turns back to his folding, no something is defiantly wrong, he will have to triple check with Gaius that the remedy wasn’t heavily enchanted in some way.

“Merlin forgive me-”

“Forgive you for what?” Merlin turns but not quick enough to stop the goblet flying towards him from hitting his head. “Ow! What was that for?” Merlin rubs his head.

“I stopped taking my potion.”

Merlin furrowed his brows confused “You stopped taking yourrrrrr-” but as he said it he realised what the other meant “you stopped taking your _soulmate_ potion?”

“Yes.”

He stood with his mouth ajar, trying hard to summon some words, any words.

“Merin?” Arthur looking genuinely concerned. He rubs at his own head and chuckles “I didn’t mean to hit you that hard, I’m sorry.”

Seeing his smile was a big weight off Merlin’s shoulders, _he wasn’t mad._ So Merlin shrugs trying to play it cool “It’s okay, I’ve felt worse.”

Arthur’s smile turned sad as he got up from his chair and started walking towards him “I know and I’m so so sorry.” He gently lifts his hand running his fingers through Merlin’s hair right over the spot that he hit.

“I already told you I forgive you.” Merlin wraps his arms around him pulling him closer and leaning his head forwards to their foreheads were touching. Arthur was warm, and comfortable and never before had Merlin felt more like he was where he was supposed to be. “I’m never letting go of you.”

“Nor am I” Arthur said as he moved his hand down to Merlin’s chin to guide the others as he leans in for a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> The End! This is my first fic for this ship and also first fic I’ve written in yearrrrs so I was a bit nervous ngl. Anyway I hope you enjoyed it!!! Thank you so much for readinggggg ♡♡♡


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